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The Haemkers were house movers for many years. They’re using a large steam tractor to move this one.

Charles W. Ost was born in Chicago in 1847, the son of Wilhelm and Charlotte. He was four years old when the family moved to a farm in Ela Township where he grew up. He married Caroline Meier in 1875 in Long Grove. Caroline was born in Germany in 1854. The couple lived on the Ost farm where their four children were born. In 1887, the Ost family moved to Palatine though they kept the farm. Charles went into business in the firm of Batterman, Abelman, and Ost. The firm operated a flax mill, flour mill, and a lumber & planning mill. This photo of the Ost residence at Palatine Road and Greeley Street was across the street from the flax mill. The mill burned in 1903 and was never replaced. In 1906, Charles sold the flour mill to his son, William, and later retired from business. Charles was the chief of the volunteer fire department from 1893 to 1917. He died in 1922. Mrs. Ost died in 1932. About 1960, Heng Wing’s Chinese Restaurant was built on this location and is still operating in 2011.

This village hall was built in 1899 on Slade Street between Brockway and Greeley Streets. The downstairs was the fire station with the fire bell tower at the right. The second floor was used for board meetings and entertainment. It could also be used for other kinds of public meetings. Later the volunteer fire department raised the money to build a new fire house at this location. That brick building is now the home of the Slade Street Fire Station shops.

Mary and Gerhard Schoppe came to Deer Grove to farm in 1863. They had five children. Of the five, Henry did not marry and stayed in this house with his mother. They had moved into town in 1893 and Gerhard died shortly after. He opened a garage here. First he sold autos such as Fords and Pontiacs. He then sold tires and repaired broken equipment. Mary lived to be 98 and died in 1932. Henry died the following year. This house was located on Brockway Street south of Palatine Road where the parking lot for World Wide Liquors is now. The auto garage became the Cork & Bottle after World War II. Both buildings were torn down in 1958.

The Schering Blacksmith shop was located on Slade Street between Brockway Street and Bothwell Street; the building is still there. The men standing from left to right are Louis Nerge, Elmer Peterson, August Kimmet, Chris Schering, and William Schering. William Schering was the oldest active blacksmith in the state when he retired in 1953 at the age of 85.

Traveling Show in front of the Matthei store on Railroad Avenue circa 1910.

The Matthei store is on the right. Next to it is Boynton’s Photo Shop. At the far left is the 1904 Masonic Hall, recently torn down.

We have a photo of this home when it stood at 16 N. Brockway. It was then the James Moorhouse Barber Shop. It was moved about 1906 when the present Zimmer Hardware was built. The front porch was added after moving and the false front that hid the roof was removed. John and Ellie Baker moved here about 1915. Their daughter, Selma Deering lived here after they died until her death in 1970. The house was torn down this November, 2011 and a new house is going up on the site.

The creek still runs under Hicks Road. The buggy is near the location of the new police station.